Hamnet

In the hands of Chloé Zhao, the historical biopic is stripped of its usual museum-grade stiffness and transformed into something tactile, breathless, and profoundly intimate. *Hamnet* (2025) avoids the typical trappings of a "Shakespeare origin story," choosing instead to dwell in the domestic shadows where grief and genius coexist. By focusing on the domestic life of Agnes (Jessie Buckley) and William (Paul Mescal), Zhao crafts a sensory-rich exploration of how the death of a child can either fracture a family or forge a legacy.

The film’s greatest strength lies in its refusal to treat William Shakespeare as an untouchable icon. Paul Mescal plays him with a restless, almost agonizing vulnerability, but it is Jessie Buckley who anchors the narrative. As Agnes, she provides the film’s spiritual pulse; her performance is a masterclass in quiet resilience, grounding the ethereal, naturalist cinematography that has become Zhao’s trademark. The chemistry between the two leads feels modern yet historically grounded, making the eventual tragedy of their son, Hamnet, feel like a personal wound rather than a footnote in literary history. The supporting cast, particularly Emily Watson, adds a layer of provincial grit that balances the film’s more poetic inclinations.

However, the film’s commitment to a slow, meditative pace occasionally works against its emotional momentum. At 126 minutes, the non-linear structure—drifting between the couple’s early courtship and the harrowing illness of their children—can feel slightly repetitive. While the visual language is stunning, some viewers may find the lack of traditional dramatic peaks frustrating. Zhao is more interested in the texture of a herb garden or the way light hits a mourning veil than in the theatricality one might expect from a story tied to the Globe Theatre.

Ultimately, *Hamnet* is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on the alchemy of sorrow. It successfully argues that *Hamlet* was not just a play born of intellect, but a ghost story born of a father’s broken heart. It is a must-watch for those who prefer their period dramas with more soul than artifice, even if its rhythmic stillness requires a bit of patience.